Page:Journal and Proceedings of the Asiatic Society of Bengal (New Series) Vol 1.pdf/248

238 32. Notes on the Species, External Charactesr and Habits of the Dugong. - By N. Annanadale, D.Sc.

Dugong-

m

of the Indian

Museum.

[With three

plates.]

largely of the nature of a preliminary notice. Later I hope to offer to the Society a memoir on the anatomy of certain organs and structures in the Dugong, which will be based partly on the specimen whose measurements are given below, and partly on the fine collection of Indian and Australian sknlls and other bones already in the Indian Museum. At present I feel confident in stating (with four fully adu two fully adult Australian, and parts of three immature Indian sknlls before me) that the individual variations amoi specimens are at least as great as those which were beb Owen to constitute a specific difference between Indian and Australian species. Skeletons of the Dugong exhibit very great differences (not solely connected with sex and age) inter se, and these cannot be specific, as they are not constant even in a series -of ore, must from the same seas. Owen's be relegated, as most recent mammalologists have thought probable, to the synonomy of H. dugong. 1 In the summer of 1905, I was deputed by the authorities of the Indian Museum to visit the northern part of the Gulf of Manaar, in order to obtain a complete skeleton and skin of an Indian specimen of the Dugong, the only skins hitherto in the collection, and the most nearly perfect skeleton, having been obtained from Queensland in exchange with the Brisbane Musenm. Thanks largely to the kind offices of the Kev. A. D. Limbrick, of Ramanad, I was so fortunate as to obtain a fine male, the external characters of which are described below :—

The present communication

is

-

_

B

Length 2 Length 1

to tip of tail

i

...

extremity of fluke 3 From posterior border of anus oxtail 4 From anterior border genital opening to

5 Length of flipper

extremity)

8 Height of facial disk ... 9 Breadth of facial disk 10 Length of upper lip (upper jaw pad)

<

form

is

bo well

known